Carrier Grade Linux (CGL) is an Open Source Development Labs (OSDL)-led effort to
provide a set of carrier requirements for Linux. The OSDL released the latest version of the specification earlier this year.

CGL, however, is not necessarily the key factor for a carrier-grade deployment.

"There is no such thing as carrier grade 'certification,'" Scott Crenshaw,
senior director of product management and marketing at Red Hat, told
LinuxPlanet.

"The OSDL Carrier Grade Linux working body has
developed a series of suggested requirements, but there is no process to
establish compliance.

"Vendors can claim CGL compatibility, but this is simply a feature-mapping
exercise, performed by the vendor with no certification or oversight,"
Crenshaw said.

What's important to telecom customers according to Crenshaw is
that they get the performance they need from a vendor that they trust.

Linux wasn't always a viable choice for carrier deployment, but according to
Crenshaw, it's ready today.

"If you go back a few years, the situation was much
different: Telcos were just beginning to evaluate Linux; the ISV community
was more limited; and integrated Linux hardware and software platforms
targeting the specific needs of telcos weren't available."

Crenshaw described telecom as a significant growth opportunity for Red Hat.
The Linux vendor claims that eight of the top network equipment providers
and over 100 telecom ISVs incorporate Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

The primary competitor for Red Hat in the telecom space according to
Crenshaw is Sun Solaris.